Silver Bells
by Dragonfly-Moonlight
Summary: Dee is looking forward to Christmas. It'll be a holiday unlike any other he has experienced. Gravitation-crossover. Dee Laytner x Hiroshi Nakano. Backstory forthcoming.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation nor FAKE, and I do not profit financially from the writing of this story. My only profits are the joys I reap for writing it.

* * *

Dee whistled a soft tune as he walked back to his apartment. His hands were in his pockets, even though he wore gloves, but the weather was cold. It was very cold. Snow fell lightly to the ground, but it was the wind that numbed his hands and bit through his winter jacket. Even his toes felt achingly numb, but Dee did not really care all that much. He was almost home, and, if things went accordingly to his plans, a certain guitarist with long, dark and sexy hair would be waiting for him there. He could not help but _be_ happy, despite the fact his toes were icy cold, and his fingers were not that far behind his toes.

As he thought of Hiro, Dee smiled and let out a sigh. It had been six months since he had last seen Bad Luck's guitarist, and he missed Hiro. Sure, they talked on the phone, emailed each other at least five times a day, and tried to mesh times so they could speak through an instant messenger and a web camera, but it was not the same for Dee. He needed to actually see Hiro in the flesh and to be able to reach out and touch the guitarist whenever he wanted. Fortunately for him, Hiro felt the same way, and the two had talked about spending the holiday season together. Dee had even volunteered to travel to Tokyo so Hiro could also see his family during his time off from recording and touring, but Hiro nixed the idea altogether, at least for this year.

His family, Hiro had told him, would not be quite as understanding of his relationship with Dee as his friends and band mates were. At least, his parents would be against Dee. Hiro's older brother, Yuji, was not so traditional in mindset that he would want to see Hiro unhappy. If anything, it was because of Yuji Hiro had followed his dreams of becoming a musician rather than a doctor, and Dee made a mental note to thank the man when he finally met Yuji for his encouragement. After all, if it had not been for whatever Yuji told Hiro in the beginning, he and Dee would not be pursuing each other as they were currently doing.

Within several minutes, just as Dee was sure he was about to lose all sensation in his toes, the dark-haired detective reached his apartment building and dashed inside. A wave of heat washed over him as he entered, and Dee sighed in relief. Christmas music played through the P.A. system, and Dee immediately recognized the tune of "Silver Bells". His smile broadening, as he rather liked the song a lot, he walked to the elevators. Hiro would also be waiting for him in his home. Dee knew as much because he had told the guitarist to simply head inside as soon as he arrived. Less than a minute later, he stepped onto his floor and walked to his door.

As he approached his private sanctuary, Dee heard voices within the apartment. One of the voices belonged to Hiro, and the other _sounded_ like Hiro's best friend, Shuichi. The third voice was not one Dee recognized, and he frowned. From what he could tell, Hiro and the unknown speaker were arguing with Shuichi, but he could not decipher a single word they were saying. Dee cursed himself for not keeping up on his Japanese while Hiro had been away. He knew that if he had, he would know what the argument was about and maybe even help if he could.

The moment he opened the door to his apartment, the argument ceased, and three sets of eyes landed on Dee. Dee paused so he could take stock of what was happening.

Shuichi stood between Hiro and a blond-haired man with aquamarine eyes. The blond-haired man wore a black hat, a black suit jacket, and a purple leopard-print shirt, and he radiated a strong aura of confidence and authority. For some reason, the blond reminded Dee of his boss, Berkeley Rose, and Dee despised Rose with a great passion. His feelings towards this strange man would probably be no different. Dee quickly turned his attention to Hiro who, as always, looked like a gorgeous super model in his tight jeans and blue silk shirt. Shuichi, on the other hand, appeared as if he had been crying. His cheeks were a bright red, and the singer looked distinctly uncomfortable in his jeans and ragged orange sweatshirt.

"Hiro, what's going on?" he asked, shrugging out of his jacket and gloves. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine," Shuichi answered before Hiro could, stumbling over his words. It was an obvious sign the singer was not accustomed to speaking in English, and he was having a little more difficulty than the last time he talked to the detective. He shifted his feet then started to move towards the door, keeping his hands out of Dee's sight. The blond-haired man reached for the singer and caught the younger man with relative ease. Then the blond-haired man looked at Hiro.

"I will call you later," the blond murmured. He kept a hold of Shuichi as he spoke. Dee watched as the blond-haired man quickly bundled Shuichi and himself up then left. It was as they were leaving the detective saw the bandages wrapped around the singer's right hand, and he returned his attention to Hiro once Shuichi and the blond were gone and the door closed.

"What was going on?" he asked. "What happened to Shuichi? And who was that with you two?"

To this, Hiro sighed and shook his head.

"_That_ was our boss, Tohma Seguchi," Hiro replied, moving towards the sofa. He looked exhausted. "As for what's wrong with Shu, we don't entirely know. He became sick on the flight over, and he isn't getting any better."

"Is that why his hand was bandaged up?" Dee inquired. He immediately joined Hiro on the sofa and wrapped his arms around the guitarist.

"I don't think so," Hiro answered, leaning into Dee's embrace. "But then he wasn't letting me look at it so I can't say."

"I thought you two shared everything." Dee frowned.

"Just about," the guitarist said, sighing again. "This isn't like him, really."

"So why aren't you with that Tohma dude?"

"Because . . . because there isn't much more that I can do," Hiro murmured. "From the way he's acting, I'd almost guess Shuichi doesn't want me to worry about him while we're in New York."

"Which is silly," Dee pointed out. "You're going to worry no matter what."

"That's why Tohma said he'd call me. I think he's going to take Shu to a doctor or to the hospital," Hiro said. He rested his head against Dee's shoulder. "I just wish they would have let me go with them."

"Is that what you were arguing about?"

"No . . . we were trying to convince Shuichi he needs to see a doctor before he gets any sicker."

"Is he and Tohma . . .?"

"In a relationship?" Hiro finished, sliding one hand onto Dee's chest. Then he nodded. "Yeah, they are. Why, for the life of me, I don't know, but they are."

"Is it serious?"

"Very much so." Again, Hiro sighed.

"Then Tohma will make sure Shu's going to be all right," Dee murmured. "I'd bet on that."

"You think so?" Hiro lifted his head to meet Dee's gaze. The dark-haired detective nodded and smiled a little.

"I know so," he murmured.

"How can you tell?"

"Because of the way he held on to Shu as they were leaving," Dee said, his voice low. He nuzzled Hiro's temple. "It was like he was holding on to the one thing that could save him from drowning. He'll call you, too. Just so you won't worry too much about Shuichi. And if he doesn't, Shuichi will. It's like you said. You and Shu are best friends. He'll tell you what's wrong when he's ready."

"If you say so . . ."

Hiro let out another sigh then fell silent. For several minutes, the two of them quietly sat on the sofa, lost in thought, and Dee glanced around his apartment.

It was still rather bare in appearance, but the bareness would not last for much longer. There were several boxes filled with decorations in one of the spare bedrooms, things he had not used in many years. He had been waiting for Hiro to arrive before he began to decorate so they would have one more thing they could do together. The decorating would probably wait until the next day or so, until Hiro knew what was wrong with Shuichi, but Dee did not mind. He understood why the guitarist would be worried about the singer. They _were_ best friends, much like how Dee's relationship with J.J. had turned out after Ryo left. Dee glanced at the man he held.

Long, raven-coloured tresses framed a smooth jaw line, and dark eyes gazed at the wall opposite of the two men. A slight frown marred Hiro's features, but Dee knew there was nothing he could do alleviate his lover's concerns. That responsibility now lay with Tohma, probably much to Hiro's dismay and dislike. Dee nuzzled Hiro again, hugging him tighter.

"You haven't decorated yet," Hiro murmured. Dee nodded. "Why?"

"I was waiting for you," he said. "I wanted it to be something we could do together. If you'd like, we can invite Shuichi and Tohma to help us. We could make a party out of it."

Hiro let out a light chuckle and snuggled closer.

"You're a lot like him, you know that?" Hiro said. Dee tilted his head.

"A lot like who?"

"Shuichi," Hiro replied. "You both have a lot of the same personality quirks, one of which is chasing after someone with all you have and not stopping until you've won that person over."

"You really think so?"

"Dee, I know so," Hiro said. "I watched Shuichi as he chased Eiri, even though it nearly destroyed him in the beginning. Then, when things between he and Eiri changed, I watched as he chased Tohma with all that he had and all he wanted to give. He was determined. You were determined."

"I still am," Dee murmured. In a way, it was a little disturbing to hear his lover's comparison of him to Shuichi, but he also understood why Hiro would think that way. Dee had been relentless in his pursuit of Ryo then Hiro, and he had not stopped until both men knew how much he loved them.

"I know," Hiro said. "Believe me, I know . . ."

"You hungry?" Dee asked, knowing a change in subject was in order. He did not know when the guitarist ate last, probably somewhere over the middle of the U.S., and who knew if the food on the plane had been decent. Hiro nodded. "What would you like?"

"Pizza," the guitarist replied, the beginnings of a grin tugging on his lips. "And you. I've missed you so much . . ."

"I think I can handle that," Dee said, smirking. He reached for the phone and dialed the number for Vinnie's(1) Italian Eatery. It was a little pricier than the local pizza joint two blocks from Dee's apartment building, but the quality of the food was far better. Vinnie hailed from Florence, Italy, and he always prepared his food from scratch. The pasta was always fresh, the cheese on the pizza gooey and hot, and the sauces Vinnie created were enough to make Dee want to sing. The joint two blocks away, when compared to Vinnie's food, tasted like five-day-old leftovers that no one bothered to refrigerate. Vinnie also delivered to Dee's apartment building, something the other place did not do, though Dee never understood why. Not that it mattered to him, anyway. Dee loved Vinnie's food, and he would share that love with Hiro.

Once the order for pizza was placed, Dee set about fulfilling Hiro's other craving. They had roughly forty-five minutes for their food to arrive, and Dee ached for Hiro as much as the guitarist ached for him. The dark-haired man leaned in closer to his younger lover, their lips meeting in a scorching kiss . . .

* * *

"We'll need to keep him overnight, Mr. Seguchi," the doctor said. "For observation."

Tohma nodded mutely, his eyes on the lithe singer laying in the hospital bed. Shuichi's eyes were closed, and his breathing was even and steady. The staff had inserted an I.V. filled with a saline solution and antibiotics into the singer's arm, re-bandaged the singer's injured hand, and attached an oxygen mask to Shuichi's face shortly after they had arrived to the hospital. They were also monitoring the younger man's heart rate and blood pressure as well as his temperature. So far, Shuichi's temperature remained a steady ninety-nine degrees, but Tohma knew it could change in a moment and not necessarily for the better. He turned his attention to the doctor.

"I want him in a private room by the end of the hour," he said. His tone left no room for argument, and the doctor sensed as much. He nodded.

"By the end of the hour," the doctor agreed. He then turned and left the room.

Once he was gone, Tohma allowed his shoulders to relax a little, and he let out a soft sigh. At what point Shuichi had become ill, the blond-haired man could not say. The singer had been fine when they boarded the plane for New York. Hell, Shuichi had been more than fine, he had been _ecstatic_. The singer literally bounced in place as they waited to board their flight to New York, and he even hummed a holiday tune as they were stepping onto the plane. It had only been about two hours after the plane left Narita that Shuichi even started to show signs of not feeling well.

His sigh must have awakened Shuichi for the singer's voice cut through his thoughts. Tohma blinked when he heard the singer, noticing how weak and ill the younger man sounded.

"Tohma? Are you all right?"

The blond-haired man returned his attention back to his lover, and he offered Shuichi a faint smile as he nodded. He crossed the distance between them and sat on the bed, taking Shuichi's hand into his, mindful of the singer's injury.

"I am fine," he murmured. "Get some rest. The doctors will move you to a private room soon."

"I don't want to stay here," Shuichi said, lightly squeezing Tohma's hand. The blond reached over and brushed back a few strands of Shuichi's hair.

"I know, but it is necessary," Tohma replied. "It is only for tonight."

"Will you stay with me?" Shuichi asked. Tohma saw the faint hints of fear in the singer's eyes. It was a strange place for Shuichi, even though he had visited New York City many times before. Matters were not helped any by the fact the singer was now ill. Tohma nodded.

"All night," he promised. "All night. Now get some rest. Please."

Shuichi managed a nod, his eyes drifting shut. Within a minute, the singer slept, but Tohma waited for at least five minutes before pulling out his cell phone and dialing Hiro's number.

* * *

Dee let out a contented sigh, reveling in the feel of Hiro's flesh next to his body. Six months had been a long time for a man to be celibate, but Dee managed rather well, in his opinion. He simply had to remind himself that he had gone longer than six months without sex before, and that had been around the time he had chased Ryo. Sure, he and Hiro often teased each other over the messenger, but cyber sex simply was not the same as the real thing. Dee enjoyed the afterglow, the moment where the connection between he and his lover strengthened, and that was not something one could feel through a computer or a telephone.

Next to him, Hiro voiced his own contentment. The guitarist lay on his side, his arm draped across Dee's stomach. His fingers drew little patterns in Dee's side, and both men were smiling.

"I guess this means you missed me, too," Hiro commented. Dee laughed.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I definitely missed you." Dee then shifted so he was on his side as well, his eyes locked with Hiro's. "Are you going to be okay?"

"No worse than the last time we were together," Hiro began.

"That's not what I meant," Dee said, shaking his head. His hand caressed Hiro's side. "I'm talking about Shuichi. Tohma hasn't called yet. Are you going to be okay?"

Hiro did not answer right away. His expression became thoughtful, and he slowly nodded.

"Yeah . . . I think I am . . . I just hope that Shuichi's all right, that it isn't something serious. I just wish Tohma would call already."

As if someone somewhere heard the guitarist, Hiro's cell phone rang, and he reached for the device. Dee drew Hiro close as the guitarist answered. They were fairly certain they knew who was calling and why, and, for a moment, Dee held his breath, praying things would be all right.

"Moshi, moshi . . ." Hiro paused, and Dee listened as best he could. The volume of Hiro's phone was not all that loud, but given the way Hiro tensed, there were no more doubts in Dee's mind as to who was on the other end. "How is he? . . . What do you mean overnight? If he's fine, why would they . . . Oh, I see . . . So he'll be all right then. That's good . . . I can head over there . . . No, it won't be a problem . . . I don't care, Seguchi-san . . . I'm still going. What room will he be in? . . . All right . . . I'll be there as soon as possible. I'll see you then . . . Yes . . . Yes . . . I will, Seguchi-san. Thank you. I will see you soon. Bye."

"How is he?" Dee asked the moment Hiro flipped his phone shut. The guitarist let out a sigh.

"Seguchi-san took him to the hospital," Hiro replied, his tone somber. "They're running some tests to find out what he has and they're keeping him overnight. Seguchi-san says I don't need to be up there, but . . ."

"You feel you do," Dee finished. He kissed Hiro on the cheek. "Get dressed. I'll take you there."

"You don't have to . . ."

"Yes, I do," Dee interrupted, pressing a finger to Hiro's lips. "You're my boyfriend, and this is what a boyfriend does for his partner. Besides, I want to see Shuichi, too. We can always catch up on things later. This is more important right now."

Dee saw how relieved Hiro was, and the guitarist smiled. He then nodded.

"Thank you," he said. "I really appreciate this."

"I know," Dee replied. "Hurry up and get dressed. It's cold out there, and we have a bit of a walk to get to my car. I'm sure you want to get there as quickly as you can."

"I do," Hiro said. "Again, thank you."

"Don't mention it, Hiro. Don't mention it."

* * *

1- Borrowed from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. It was the place where the Turtles loved getting their pizzas from and eventually Vinnie had them sign a pizza box so he could hang it on the wall.


	2. Chapter 2

"I hope you don't mind, but we brought our dinner with us. How is he doing?"

Those had been the first words out of Dee's mouth after he and Hiro had arrived at the hospital and found Tohma Seguchi. For some reason, Shuichi now rested in a private room instead of the usual overnight observation rooms, and Dee could not help but wonder why. Hiro, on the other hand, did not seem so surprised at the singer's current location. If anything, he seemed to have expected to find Shuichi in the private ward, and he was at the singer's side in an instant, Tohma stepping to one side.

To Dee's inquiry, Tohma let out a soft sigh.

"Better," the blond-haired man replied. "The doctor is still running some tests to find the cause of his illness. For now, though, he's on an antibiotic drip."

"What happened to his hand? And why is he in a private room?" Dee cast a quick glance at the slumbering singer before returning his attention back to Tohma. Once again, the blond-haired man sighed. He looked worn out, to Dee's trained eye, but beyond that, the dark-haired detective could not read the man.

"He is in a private room because I specifically requested it," Tohma said. "Since he is ill, he does not need to be around others who could potentially make him worse. As for his hand, it is sprained."

"Sprained?"

"Yes. Sprained."

"How . . ."

Tohma's lips tugged upwards a little, a slight smile of amusement. His aquamarine eyes glittered.

"He punched a brick wall," the man answered in an enigmatic tone.

"A brick wall?" Hiro interjected, joining them at the foot of Shuichi's bed and their conversation. "Is that what you're calling Aizawa now?"

"More or less," Tohma said evenly. Dee gazed at Hiro, puzzled by the exchange.

"I didn't think he'd hit the bastard that hard," the guitarist commented, offering Dee a tiny shrug in the process. He then reached over and grasped Dee by the hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. It was his way of saying he would explain later. Dee squeezed back, acknowledging the gesture.

"Shuichi didn't start complaining his hand hurt until a moment or so before we were boarding the plane," Tohma said. His attention returned to the sleeping singer. "He tried hiding it even then. Said he didn't want to ruin our vacation over it."

"That wouldn't cause him to be sick, though," Dee murmured. Tohma nodded his agreement.

"It wouldn't and it didn't," the man said. "Shuichi was fine otherwise when we boarded the plane. This . . . this is most unexpected."

"Oh . . ." Dee fell silent for a moment. He really had not counted on Tohma and Shuichi arriving in New York with Hiro, and the dark-haired detective wanted to monopolize as much of Hiro's time as he could. The question was, would he be able to do so with Shuichi in the same city? He tilted his head as he regarded Tohma. "Do you and Shuichi need a place to stay while you're here?"

Tohma shook his head 'no' and then he returned his gaze to the singer in the hospital.

"We're staying at The Inn at Irving Place," the blond replied.

"You don't have to," Dee said. "You can stay with me while . . ."

Again, Tohma shook his head, his smile still in place. Dee thought the blond's expression to be somewhat . . . impish, if not amused.

"Your offer is greatly appreciated, Laytner-san, but Shuichi and I already decided where we wanted to stay while we're here," he said. His smile grew a little wider. "If you do not mind, we will decline your offer. This way, you and Nakano-san can have your privacy, and Shuichi and I can have ours. Besides, I promised Shuichi we would stay at the Inn at Irving Place the next time we would be in New York, and I have my assistant taking care of some last minute arrangements."

Dee could only nod his head understanding to the blond-haired man's soft declaration. After all, he knew about making promises and keeping them, and he would not ask Tohma Seguchi to go back on his word to Shuichi when he would try to make sure his lover would have the best holiday possible.

"Dee hasn't decorated his home for Christmas yet," Hiro said. "He says if you and Shuichi want, you can join us."

To this, Dee smiled. He felt immediately grateful for the change in subject. For some reason, he still found Tohma Seguchi to be a little off-putting, and speaking the right words somehow seemed important.

"We can make a party out of it," Dee said.

"That is most kind of you to offer, Laytner-san," Tohma replied. "Thank you."

"So you'll join us? It won't interfere with anything you've got planned?" Dee asked.

Tohma nodded and said, "We will just need to know which days. Again, thank you for the offer."

"Not a problem," Dee said. "Not a problem."

* * *

"I didn't think Shuichi would be sick enough to be hospitalized," Dee commented as he and Hiro left the hospital an hour later. The two men insisted that they share their pizza with Tohma since it did not appear the blond would be leaving Shuichi's room to eat any time soon. Tohma eventually conceded, but only after the singer woke up and joined Dee and Hiro in their insistence. They talked for a while longer, but, given there was not much anyone could do for the singer, Dee and Hiro decided Shuichi needed the rest more than the company. As they entered the parking lot, Hiro nodded to Dee's comment.

"I didn't think he would be that sick, either," the guitarist said. "Maybe the flight didn't help him any."

"Probably not . . ." Dee gazed towards the sky. It was rather hard to see the stars, but he managed to catch a few peeking out. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah . . ."

"Your boss is some pretty serious shit, isn't he?"

"How do you mean?" Hiro asked. Dee shrugged.

"He just strikes me as a no nonsense type person. Things have to be his way or not at all," Dee murmured. "It's like he won't hesitate to eliminate anyone who pisses him off."

"That's probably true," Hiro conceded. His fingers grasped Dee's hand.

"And you're not saying anything to Shuichi about all of this?" Hiro shook his head 'no.' "Why not?"

"It's Shuichi's life," Hiro replied. "I can't tell him to stop loving Tohma. I couldn't tell him to stop loving Eiri Yuki. Shu's pretty passionate about things like that."

"Even if he ends up in a dangerous situation because of it?"

"I try not to think about that," the guitarist murmured. "I have to believe Shuichi knows what he's doing. Besides, Seguchi seems to have mellowed out some. If anything, he's fiercely protective of Shu."

"And he wasn't before?"

"No," Hiro said. "Not in the least. For a while, Seguchi-san and Shuichi could not stand each other. Their source of contention was the same person they had in common."

"Eiri Yuki?"

"Yeah . . ." The two men reached Dee's car and climbed inside. "Eiri Yuki."

"So how did Shuichi end up with Tohma?"

"You know," Hiro murmured. "I'm not entirely sure. Everything happened so quickly between the three of them. Before anyone could even see how it happened, Shuichi and Seguchi-san were an item."

"That's weird," Dee commented.

"Tell me about it."

* * *

"Here we go. The last box."

Hiro glanced up as Dee brought out the last box filled with Christmas decorations. The dark-haired detective wore a huge smile on his face, even though the box appeared to be quite heavy, and he stood to help the other man.

"Where do you want it?" Hiro asked, reaching for the box.

"Right here," Dee replied, setting the box into an oversized chair. Hiro shook his head, smiling. The dark-haired detective then leaned over and kissed Hiro, gently at first, but it soon became a hungry kiss, demanding. Hiro responded by stepping closer to his lover, his arms sliding around Dee's neck.

A few moments into their kiss the door buzzer sounded off, and Dee pulled away. A heavy sigh escaped the older man, and their foreheads touched.

"Must be Shuichi and your boss," Dee commented. Hiro could only nod.

"Must be . . . they're the only ones who would be here at this time . . ."

"Right . . ."

Reluctantly, Dee pulled away and headed for the door, a sad yet cheerful smile on his face. Hiro watched him, his own smile in place, and he was rewarded with the sight of his best friend pouncing on his lover less than a minute later. The two men landed on the ground, Shuichi sitting on top of Dee. Behind Shuichi stood Tohma. The older man held a small box and a rather large bag with some grease stains, and he actually laughed, something Hiro never thought he would hear from his boss.

"Hi, Dee!"

"Good afternoon, Laytner-san," Tohma said, his tone laced with amusement.

"Yo," Dee replied, grimacing a little. Shuichi immediately removed himself from the detective's person and helped Dee back to his feet. "Glad to see you're feeling better, Shuichi."

To that, the singer nodded, his face nearly splitting from the grin on his face. Tohma entered the apartment and closed the door behind him. Automatically, Shuichi and Tohma removed their shoes.

"We brought a box of candy canes and some take-out," Tohma said. "We hope you do not mind."

"Not at all," Dee murmured. "Thanks."

"Where would you like them?"

"On the table will be fine," Dee said, leading Tohma towards the kitchen. For the next three hours, the four men talked and ate as they decorated Dee's apartment. It was a rather amusing and puzzling experience for Hiro since he saw a side to Tohma he usually did not get to experience.

Tohma was more than kind to Shuichi, even tender and protective, and he kept insisting the singer take breaks. While Shuichi _was_ feeling better, he was still not his usual hyper self, and Tohma seemed to sense as much in the singer. It was eerie to Hiro, but it was also comforting. He felt reassured Shuichi would be cared for during their stay in New York.

Their joviality ended, though, the moment Dee's partner – and former lover – knocked on the door . . .


	3. Chapter 3

To say Dee felt awkward would have been a serious and massive understatement. Standing in his apartment were his current lover and his former lover as well as his current lover's best friend and his lover's boss. An eerie silence had descended upon his apartment the moment Ryo arrived, and Dee could tell his partner was just as uncomfortable as he was about the situation. The sooner Ryo got to leave, the better for everyone there.

"I'm sorry, Dee. I didn't realize you had company right now," Ryo said, finally breaking the silence. "I mean, I knew Hiro was coming back to New York but . . ."

"It's all right, Ryo," Dee interrupted. "What brings you by?"

"Oh . . . Commissioner Rose is re-opening some old cold cases," Ryo said. "He wants us to start investigating into them."

"Boring," Dee said. "We'll never find anything on those old cases."

"That may be," Ryo replied, "but the Commissioner wants us to start looking into them, anyway. They're having luck in Philadelphia with cold cases. He believes we'll be able to solve a few of our own since they've done so."

Dee wanted to say re-opening cold cases was a waste of time, that if the former detectives working the cases had not solved them then they would not have any better luck. However, Dee knew he could not say such a thing. There were family members to the victims still alive, and each one wanting both closure and justice. Dee could not deny them that, not when he had his own unanswered questions. Slowly, he nodded.

"All right," he groused. "I'm in. I'm guessing you're here about the first case."

"Yeah," Ryo replied, nodding. "I don't have the file with me, but it's one Rose really wants us to investigate first. It's the death of Yuki Kitazawa."

If his attention had been on Tohma and Shuichi, Dee would have seen the quick glance the two shared. He would have seen Shuichi reach for Tohma's hand, and he would have seen Tohma squeeze Shuichi's hand in reply. However, his attention was on Ryo and Ryo's eyes were locked with his as the dark-haired man mulled over the information presented.

"Yuki Kitazawa . . . Why that one?" he asked.

"Because Rose says there's something off about all of the evidence that was gathered," Ryo replied. "The lead investigator labeled it as a drug bust gone wrong, but there were a few things never followed up on."

"Like what?"

"Well," the sandy-haired detective began, "according to the file, Kitazawa was tutoring a sixteen-year-old boy from Japan, an Eiri Uesugi. At the time of Kitazawa's death, Eiri mysteriously disappeared, though it was noted he was on a plane back to Japan. No one ever talked to him."

"Why talk to him?"

"Because his fingerprints were all over the apartment," Ryo answered.

"Because Eiri was at his apartment on more than one occasion," a quiet voice interjected. Surprised that it was Tohma who had spoken, Dee turned around to face the blond.

"You know Eiri Uesugi?" Ryo inquired. To that, Tohma nodded.

"He's Eiri Yuki," Hiro said. His eyes locked with Dee's, and the green-eyed man thought he saw something flicker in the guitarist's eyes. He just did not know what it was that he saw, and he was not sure if he liked it, either. "He's Shuichi's former lover."

"I see," Ryo murmured. "So you're Tohma Seguchi . . . Then maybe you can help us get a hold of Eiri . . . without telling him why we need to speak with him. It _is_ a murder investigation."

"I will see what I can arrange," Tohma replied, his tone smooth and even. He rose to his feet, Shuichi following his actions. Dee felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees, and the thought bothered him as much as the strange light in Hiro's eyes did.

"Are you leaving?" Ryo asked.

"I am," Tohma answered in the same smooth tone. "I knew Kitazawa-san when he was alive. I was the one who hired him to tutor Eiri."

"Then you would want his murderer found, I'm sure," Ryo said.

"No."

"No?" Dee echoed. "Why not? If you were friends with him . . ."

"Kitazawa-san was not a friend. Kitazawa-san had problems, problems I wish I had known about sooner," Tohma said. "If I had, I would not have hired him to tutor Eiri. The knowledge of the potential danger I could have put Eiri in, to this day, makes me feel nauseous. He was still only a child."

"I can relate to that," Ryo murmured. "However, I'm sure his family would like some closure on his death. All we need to do is talk with Eiri. We're not accusing anyone of murder."

"I understand," Tohma said. "And I will contact him about the matter as soon as he is available. Please excuse me. I feel the need for some fresh air."

Dee watched as both Tohma and Shuichi donned their winter gear and walked out the door. Their hands never strayed far from each other, and Shuichi had become very quiet.

"Stay in touch, Mr. Seguchi," Ryo called out. The blond-haired man simply nodded then he and Shuichi were gone. "That was odd."

"From what I've always understood, Seguchi-san really disliked Kitazawa-san, though no one ever told me why," Hiro murmured. He walked over to Dee, his fingers wrapping around the detective's hand. "Even Kitazawa's younger brother knew why."

"How do you know Kitazawa's younger brother?" Dee asked. To that, Hiro sighed.

"It's a really long and complicated story," the guitarist said. "I don't even know all of the details, but I know Yoshiki and Shuichi met here in New York City. _She_ followed him back to Tokyo when he decided he wanted to come home. Shuichi had made some kind of a promise to her, but what that was, I don't know."

"She? Don't you mean he?"

"No, I mean she," Hiro said. "Yoshiki's now a woman."

* * *

"Are you going to be all right?" Shuichi asked. Tohma exhaled softly then slowly nodded his head. The two of them stood outside Dee Laytner's apartment complex, watching as a few people walked by. No one paid any attention to their conversation, something Tohma felt very appreciative. The last thing he wanted was for someone to stare at him the same way Dee's work partner had done. For some reason, Detective McLean's gaze unnerved Tohma, causing him to nearly slip on what he knew about Yuki Kitazawa's death.

"Yes," he replied. "I will be. I just was not expecting Kitazawa-san's name to be mentioned."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Tohma murmured. "I really don't know."

"Eiri will need to know."

"If we can find him, Shuichi," Tohma said. "If we can find him, I'll tell him."

Shuichi said nothing to that. Instead, he sighed softly and rested his head on Tohma's shoulder.

"We should go back inside," he said. "You're still not well enough to be outside like this."

"I don't mind," Shuichi said. "I like spending time like this with you."

"I know," Tohma said, feeling a smile tug on his lips. "I feel the same way. I just do not wish for you to become worse. Come. Inside with you."

Tohma wrapped an arm around Shuichi's shoulders and led the singer back into the building.

* * *

Ryo could not fight the twinge of jealousy he felt surging through his blood at the sight of Dee holding hands with another man. It did not help matters any the other man appeared to be in his early twenties compared to Dee's late twenties, and the other man was drop-dead sexy. Even wearing only a pair of jeans and a shirt, Hiro oozed sex appeal, and Ryo felt hurt to know Dee had found someone else. It was very obvious to him Dee and Hiro were very much in love.

However, he was there as a co-worker, not as Dee's lover. Their time as lovers was now over and would never happen again. Ryo had waited too long to tell Dee the truth. His relationship with Rose had ended as soon as it had started. He offered his partner a faint smile in an effort to hide his pain.

"Sorry again for interrupting you, Dee, especially on your day off," Ryo said. "I just wanted you to know about our new assignment. I'll get out of your way."

"It's all right," Dee said, waving his free hand. He smiled. "At least I know I won't be too bored when I get back to work."

"Why don't you stay a while?" Hiro inquired. Ryo blinked, the question throwing him for a loop. "We could use some help in decorating the apartment."

"Yeah," Dee said after a slight moment of hesitation. "Stay for a while."

"Aren't the other two helping?" Ryo asked.

"They're trying to," Dee replied. "It doesn't help Shuichi's not feeling the greatest right now."

"How come?"

"Tohma hasn't said yet," Hiro replied. "We just know Shuichi got sick on the way over."

"Oh . . . Are you sure you want me to stay?"

"We're still friends," Dee said, his tone soft. "And friends are always welcome in my home."

Ryo could not refrain from smiling. Dee's words warmed his heart, and he found himself nodding.

"Okay . . . I'll stay," he said. "Have you already hung the mistletoe?"

Dee and Hiro glanced at each other then grinned. In less than thirty seconds, both men were standing to either side of him and kissing him. Then Dee leaned in close and whispered, "You're standing under it."


End file.
